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הִלֵּל

𐤄𐤋𐤋

Hilel

H1985 noun

SILEX Entry

Root הלל to praise, to boast, to celebrate

Definition

Hillel (personal name): A proper name borne by an individual in the Hebrew Bible; the meaning is generally regarded as 'praise' or 'he (God) has praised.' In biblical usage, this word does not function as a common noun or verb but only as a proper noun identifying an Israelite individual.

Semantic Range

proper name (personal name), related by meaning to 'praise'; not used with other senses

Root / Etymology

The name is derived from the root הלל (h-l-l), which means 'to praise.' The form הִלֵּל is a likely intensive or causative stem (piel), but as a proper name, it denotes 'praise' or 'praising.' The construction may imply '[God] has praised' or 'one who praises.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

Hillel appears in Judges 12:13,15, identifying Hillel of Pirathon, the father of Abdon, one of the minor judges. There are no indications of cultic or religious function associated with the name; it is solely a personal name with a likely positive connotation relating to praise. The name is not used as a title or epithet. In later Jewish tradition, the most famous bearer is Hillel the Elder, a sage well after the biblical period, but this post-biblical usage has no bearing on the biblical figure. English translations often use 'Hillel' as a transliterated name, which accurately reflects the biblical usage as a proper noun. Unlike related verbal forms (e.g., הלל as a verb, 'to praise'), this word does not carry actions or direct theological statements within its biblical context.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from הָלַל; praising (namely God); Hillel, an Israelite; Hillel.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

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Root Family

הלל (h-l-l) — to praise, to boast, to celebrate

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1947 הוֹלֵלָה acts of folly
H1948 הוֹלֵלוּת reckless foolishness
H1966 הֵילֵל shining one
H1974 הִלּוּל festal rejoicings
H1984 הָלַל I will extol

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1985-01 הִלֵּ֖ל hilel HNp Hillel Praise-One 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1985-01 Judges 12:13 הִלֵּ֖ל hilel HNp Hillel Praise-One
H1985-01 Judges 12:15 הִלֵּ֖ל hilel HNp Hillel Praise-One
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